If you read any podcast book out there, one thing they’ve told you time and time again is to keep to a schedule. Even YouTube suggests episodic material should be on a scheduled release. But I am here to say that is not necessary. You might be able to have an unscheduled podcast and still have the audience.

To do this, I am going to help you condition your audience to expect the podcast that doesn’t happen on a regular interval. Keep in mind you still have to do a show at least once every 14-21 days.

Not all Shows Can Follow this Awkward Format

I’ll put it out there – even though I am going to show you a way to do this, not all shows can. Most news shows will do better if they keep to a release day and time. If you are a TV episodic podcast such as Scandal or Grey’s Anatomy, you probably need to keep to a regular schedule – at least during the season.

Other shows – such as interviews shows, reviews, and more could possibly if they don’t have a new episode by Wednesday morning.

You may lose some audience if there is no regular schedule. Some people might complain, too. If the content is useful enough for them, they’ll come back and they will understand.

If the Content is Good…

Ray Ortega

Ray Ortega does a hangout podcast called the Podcasters’ Roundtable. He live streams the event with other podcasters and a guest, then turns it into a RSS feed podcast when done. His schedule is so erratic that he could call out the next episode for 4 hours from now.

He gets people to join and he gets podcast traffic from it.

I asked Ray if he finds success in this pattern. He replied:

I think about this often. I think that I have a unique approach that is suited to the content and actually does very well despite itself. In other words, best practices would say to produce a podcast on a regular schedule, one hour, once a week for example, especially for a show that is recorded live.

However, because the goal of my show is to include the entire podcasting community, having a flexible schedule allows me to be more inclusive of a global audience. Having different days and times means more people have a chance to participate. So in my particular situation I think it’s an advantage and the numbers show this.

The end result for Podcasters’ Roundtable is a show where over 70 people watch live and thousands catch when the show is mixed down. All with no set schedule.

Communication is Key in Erratic Podcasting

Giving Direction

The best way a show can bring their own schedule is if they have a direct line to let the audience know of new episodes. Communication is a vital part to this. Having a rich email list, a community with lots of followers, Twitter following or another way to get a hold of your audience is the best way to bring them back.

Every year I go to CES – Consumer Electronics Show. I made sure I had my contact list I can email so people would know my plans. The videos go up between January and March, then things could be dormant for 8-9 months. These videos also get attention via communication services.

Email is Still the King of Communication

Facebook pages might not get back to your audience. Twitter had a recent insurgence because of the World Cup but the service still only reaches 3% of the US. Then again, if they are not on at that point in time, your tweets could go unread. Email is a medium all business professionals have and read on a daily basis.

According toBizJournals on Email Marketing, some companies have pulled back in favor to Facebook marketing. I am not sure why – unless these businesses have grossly outdated email lists. Still, this is a major advantage for any smaller business.

Should You Advertise?

Oh heck yeah! If you watch TV or listen to radio shows, you know they advertise for each other all the time. Creating a 15 second ad “This Podcast Returns on {date}. Go to {website} for more information,” not only lets your listeners know, but might also create a buzz for new consumers.

A $10-$20 Facebook campaign focused around your podcast genre will give you a 14 day promotion window. If you record video, create a couple YouTube promos. You can always take those videos down when your show plays.

Give them Other Content

If I have a reason to go, I will put the website in my regular viewing schedule. If the podcast is not the reason anymore, maybe to read some blog posts or something else. If you start doing some blogging on your site, you have more content to promote in an email.

Running a contest could help keep people coming to the website. Use a program like RaffleCopter to have the fans come back and enter for the daily entry.

Give them Direction, They Will Follow

Tony Robbins

Think of it this way: if Tony Robbins was to put out a podcast on an erratic schedule, he would most likely get thousands of listeners to each episode. Of course I mention Tony Robbins because he is a motivational speaker. He knows how to give direction. His fans follow him and will pick up on anything new he does.

You might not have thousands of people watching for your next move. There is no reason why you shouldn’t.

When It’s Time to Podcast

When you do get ready for the next episode, think of this: Going to|am doing |have done attitude. When you chose your time to podcast, you send out a commuication you are going to do it. When you are ready to podcast you communicate you are doing it. When its all done and posted, you communicate you have done the show.

Most podcasters send out tweets and Facebook posts after the fact. Some of those posts are automatic. But the podcaster that preps their audience to a new episode will bring anticipation and knowledge of a finished product by the next day.

Related Posts

Search Podcast Awesomeness!

Welcome to How to Record Podcasts. Where you can learn all about podcasting, the tools of the trade, and what kind of podcaster you want to become. You will also find about how to build your website, where to find hosting, how to get your feed on iTunes and other catchers, and much more!

Categories

Archives

How to Record Podcasts newsletter brings you tips and tricks for podcasting, plus find out about upcoming master classes.

Enter your email Address to subscibeYour Email:

Join the Google+ Podcasting Community

Come over to the Google+ Community Podcasters Page to join in on podcast discussions! Learn about other podcasters and how they are honing in on their craft! Old or new, we want you to be part of our community.

Recording video through a phone is a great way to capture the moment, but sometimes the audio experience gets lost. With binaural recording, the sound expands, and the experience increases. Anthony Mattana at Hooke audio wanted to make a simple device to give you that binaural experience. As a theater major, he saw how hard […]

This is part 1 of a 2 part video. I was asked by Aving.net to judge 8 of the Korean startups that came to CES 2019 to present and get noticed by investors and companies. In this first video, we look at the following 4 companies: IP&PMS This company basically looks for trademarks and patents […]

2006 – Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass launch Twitter (a.k.a. Twttr) with Jack’s first Tweet. “Just setting up my Twttr” went across the network of only a few followers. Similar to Alexander Graham Bell’s “Mr. Watson, come here” statement or “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into a wax cylinder. Twitter was officially founded, […]

7:17 AM ET TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki has told the Seattle Mariners he will retire after Thursday’s game in Tokyo, sources confirmed to ESPN. Kyodo News was first to report the story. Ichiro Suzuki has informed the Mariners he will retire after Thursday’s game vs. the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo. Masterpress/Getty Images Many expected Ichiro, 45, […]

3:10 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — When the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on this season not once, but twice — first by trading for Jimmy Butler, then for Tobias Harris — it was because they saw a window to compete for a championship right now. It was a decision fraught with risk. Philadelphia gave […]